Staple-setting machine.



No. 634,676. f Patented ont. Io, |899..

' A. n. THomAs.

STAPLE SETTING MACHINE.

(Application led Hay 11, 1`898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

` wmwmimmmmmwm QQ f y@ limlmnyummA g Y Il i Patented Oct. l0, 1899.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. D. THOMAS.

STAPLE SETTlNG MACHiNE.

(Application filed May 11, 1898.)

rlit) Model.)

THE nofws PETERS ca.. vacuums wmmm'nu. u. c.

Patented' 0st. I0, 1899.

3 Sheetsfsheet 3,

A. D. THUMAS.

STAPLE SETTUIG MACHINE.

(Appl cat on led my 11 1898) me :mams Perrine co, #Moro-urna, wummow. n. c.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ALBERT D. THOMAS, OE KEOKUK, IOWA, AssiGNoE. rro THE UNIONsTArLE vsEAM EE-ENEOROING COMPANY, on SAME PLAGE.

STAPLE-SETTING MACHlN E.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,676, dated October'lO, 1899.

Applicant ieaMay Y11, 189s.

To att whom, it 1v1/ty concerne:y

Beit known that 1, ALBERT D. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Keokuk, Stateof- Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Staple-Setting Machines, of which the fol, lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for setting staples, and has for its principal object to in- Io sure the orderly operation of the machine,

notwithstanding the staples' mayv be 'defec tive in form and of various sizes and Vthe ma'- terial operated on of various thicknesses.

My inventionconsists principally in means.

- r 5 hereinafter described and claimedforstraightening staples of .defective form.

It further consists in a portion of the feedslide being tilted sidewise.

It further consists in the improved feed-i hopper hereinafter described and claimed and in the device hereinafter described and claimed for separating staples of excessive thickness.

It further consists in means hereinafter de- 2 5 scribed and claimed for automatically varying the position of the anvil relative to the. plunger, according to the varying thicknesses of the material operated on.

It further consists in thel parts and in lthe 3o arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings, whichform part of this' specification, Figure 1 is a side View of a staple-setting machine embodying 3 5 myimprovements. Fig. 2` is a vertical crosssection thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig.`1 looking to the right. Figs. 3 and 'et are detail sections of the device for correcting spread-point staples, said views showing diderent positions 4o of the parts on the line 3 4t of Fig. 1. Fig. 5

is a plan detail of said staple-correcting device. Fig. 6 is a plan .view of the machine, with a portion of the hopper broken away. Fig. 7 is avertical cross-section of the hopper on the iine 7 7 of Fig. 9. Fig. S is a detail vieu7 of the device for spreading staples with pinched points. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical view, mostly sectional, on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a detail View showing the' 'serai Nt. 530,341. ou man.)

automatically-varying face-plate at the end 5o of the feed-slide. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional detail thereof on the line 11 11 of Fig. l0, the slide-bars and shoulder] 6 thereon beingsh own in elevation. Fig. 12 is a detail View of the partsnear the end of the feed-slide, with the 5 5 face-plate removed. Fig. 13 is a sectional detail near the end of the feed-slide on the line 13 13 of Fig. 11. Figs. 14 and 15 are horizontal sectional details on the lines le 14 and 15 15,' respectively, of Fig. 10'. Figs. 16 and 6o 17 are details illustrating the clenchingoperation on the staple. Fig. 1S is a vertical sectional detail near the end Of the drivingplunger, showing a staple-'cutoff device; andy Figs. 19 and 20 are details of a construction 65 for permanently adjusting the face-plate.

Like symbols refer to like parte in all ythe views. Y

The framework 1 of my machine carries two levers on horizontal journals. The lower 7o .lever 2 carries an anvil 8,'suitable for clinching staples, such as the anvil 3 shown in Figs. 10 and 16.A The upper lever Li carries a plunger or driver 5, which extends through guides on an overhanging arm of the framework directly. above the anvil. vThe tail' of theupper lever is forked and just stiaddles an eccentric-cam 6, mounted on the main shaft 7 of the machine, whereby the lever and plunger are given the up-and-dow/n movement 8o required for driving staples.

The taii of the anvil-lever has a dat spring S extending along the upper side thereof 'and bearing against the eccentric on the shaft. Said spring is stiff enough to cause the throw of the eccentricto tilt the lever until the leather or other material resting on the anvil is borne against the lower surface of the stationaiy arm of the framework and then said spring yields without further moving the an-. 9:. vil-lever. The anvil-lever is returned to its normal position by any suitable means, such asa small spring 9.

I Journaled in the sides of the framework is a U-shaped dead-lock or dog 10, adapted, 95 when hanging vertically, or nearly so, to have its edge bear against the eccentric at its shortest radius, and therefore adapted to be dis placed the full throw of the eccentric. The lower end of the dead-lock thusvswings in the arc of a circle, and the upper surface of the tail of the anvil-lever is made to conform to this are, so that when the eccentric lowers the tailpiece the dead-lock (being then opposite the shorter radius of the eccentric) swings as near the vertical line as the position of the lever will permit. In whatever position the dead-lock comes to rest it bears endwise squarely against the upper surface of the anvil-lever and locks said lever firmly in that position until the dead-lock is automatically borne aside by the eccentric after the clenching of the staple. Thus the staple-driving plunger has a constant throw, and the position of the anvil varies automatically, according to the thickness of the material operated on.

As in other staple-setting machines, the staples 11 are caused to straddle an inclined bar or slide 12, mounted on the framework. The lower end of the slide constitutes a portion of the side of a vertical chute into which the staples drop one by one and in which the driving-plunger works. As the staples vary in thickness, the side of the chute opposite the slide-bar is adjustably mounted, so as to make the width of the chute variable. The

preferable construction for this purpose consists in a face-plate 13, mounted on springs or resilient flat plates 14, which are secured to the overhanging arm of the framework and bear against the top and bottom parts of said face-plate, so as to hold said face-plate close to the end of the slide-bar and coperate in securing the proper feed of the staples. As shown in the drawings, the face-.plate may have the guide-chan nel for the driving-.plunger cut therein and form three sides of `the feed-chute, a slot being formed in the fourth side tol allow the face-plate to straddle the slide and form an opening for the admission of staples into the chtite.

In order to prevent more than one staple getting into the chute at a time, the innerv surface of the face-plate is provided with a small curved knob 15, made, preferably, by indenting the outer surface. The slight elevation of the inner surface thus effected is just below the upper edge of the lower end of the slide `and is sufficient to hold a stapley until the plunger strikes against it. The plunger is likewise curved or hollowed out to clear this knob or elevation, as shown in Fig. 15.

In order to insure the staples getting into the chute in proper vertical position, shoulders 16, (see Figs. 11 and 12,) inclining downwardly to the chute, are arranged on either side of the slide below the range of movement of the staples on the slide, but within reach of the ends of any staples which do not drop in a vertical position. The operation of this part of the machine is as follows: The weight of the staples astraddle the inclined bar pushes the endmost staple sidewise off of the slightly-rounded edge of the slide into the chute and against the face-plate 13, where it hangs unless itis narrow enough to drop down as far as the rounded elevation. In either case the plunger bears down upon it and wedges it down between the end of the slide and the movable face-plate, which yields automatically to widen the chute and let it pass on down through the material on the anvil and be turned or clenched, as shown in Fig. 17. In the downward movement if the staple happens to be inclined its lower points strike against the inclined shoulders 1G and are guided into vertical position in the chute. The driving-plunger does not exceed the thickness of the thinnest staples. Otherwise there would bedanger of two or more staples getting into the chute atatime. Vhen staples of larger size are used, the'face-plate may be adjusted away from the slide by the construction illustrated in Figs. 1S) and 20, wherein a screw working in the frame constitutes an adjustable back-stop` for zregulating the approach of the face-plate toward the slide. The upper end portion of the slide-bar 12 has'a funnel 17 fixed above it, and inclosing said end portion and funnel is a revolving hopper 18, mounted on a horizontal axle 19, journaled in the framework. The hopper is preferably the shape of a fru stu in of a pyramidor cone and has a central opening in its sm aller end, through which extends the slide-bar. On its inside near the larger end are vanes or plates .20, forming buckets which carry the staples'upwardly and dump them into the funnel 17,th rough which they are guided onto the slide, which some of them straddle and slide downwardly on. The inclination of the slide effects a greater agitationof the staples and serves to collect them inthe buckets. At the larger end of the hopper is a drum 2], having a groove for a belt 22, which passes over a pulley 23 on the main shaft, an intermediate pulley 24 serving to change the direction of the belt. This drum ishollow and is the original receptacle for the staples. Its inner wall is of .pyramidal form and its end partition-Wall, which divides it from the hopper, has elongated slotsBl therein of a width sufficient to let staples of ordinary thickness through into the hopper, but narrow enough to stop staples which are excessively thick.

To reduce the chances of the staples overlapping each other, ashort portion of the slide is tilted sidewise out of the vertical plane, whereby the staples are made to hang by their corners on the edge of the tilted portion of the slide, and thus be the more likely to be parallel to one another. A guard-bar 25 is mounted parallel with the slide and just far enough above it to permit a staple to-slide thereon. This guard extends from the lower end of the slide toa point yjust inside the hopper, and just above this point there is one or more brushes 26 on the inner surface of the IOO IIO

hopper arranged to clear the edge of the slide,

butfto brush o any staples which do not hap-- pen to hang in proper position.

In order to spread apart the points of staples `which have become somewhat pinched together, a flat spring 27 or spring-actuated plate is mounted ilatwise on the side of the slide near the smaller end of the hopper and arranged to be straddledby the staples sliding down thereon, the slide being made thinner for this purpose. To insure the stradding,

the upper end of theilat spring is preferably against the edge of the lever.

Vfor the return movement, the tail of the lecountersunk in or extends through the side, as shown in Fig. 8, and is held close against the slide. Near the lower end the springplate has a depending finger 28, arranged in the path ot' one ormore projections, such as the brush-carriers 29, whereby said projections bear the spring-plate sidewise a predetermined distance and then clear. it and allow it to resume its normal position alongside the slide. In this movement the points of any pinched staples straddling the slide yand spring are spread apart.

In order to straighten the points of staples which are too far apart, spring-pressed plates 30 arepivoted on the framework on either side of the slide and have inclined surfaces in the path of the driving-lever 4, whereby for holding back the column of staples on the slide. 'It consists of one or more levers or gates 33, pivotally mounted on the end ofthe overhanging arm to move transversely'of the slide and arranged to be actuated by the driving-plunger. .For this purpose a projection or projecting arm 34 on the plunger bears ver may be bent, as shown,- or the gate may be carried or actuated by a spring. The inner side of each lever is beveled to an edge, whereby .upon the downward. movement of the plunger it wedges between the endmost staple and the one next adjacent, and thereby holds back the whole column until the return stroke of the plunger. l

What I claim as new, and desire .to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A staple-setting machine. comprising a feed-slide,a thin plate mounted tlatwise thereou and means for periodically moving. said' To provide plate sidcwise,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A staple-setting machine comprising a feed-slide, a thin spring mounted thereon flatwise and means for periodically moving said spring sidewise, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a staple-setting machine, a device for straightening spread-point staples comprising a feed-slide, a plunger-driving lever, and dati'aced clamping-jaws on `opposite sides of the slide arranged to be moved toward each other by the driving-lever and thereby straightening all spread-point staples between said jaws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a staple-setting machine a device for straightening spread-point staples comprising a feedslide, a plunger-driving lever, and flatthe slide and having inclined bearing-surfaces in the path of the driving-lever whereby said lever moves said plates toward each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 5. A staple-setting machine comprising an inclined feed-slide having a portion thereof tilted sidewise out of the vertical plane, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A staple-setting machine comprising a wise-moving plates pivoted en either side of main shaft'having an eccentric thereon, auV

IOO

` 7. A staple-setting machine comprising a v main shaft having aneccentric thereon, an anvil-carrying lever having a yielding spring. bearing against the lower surface of the eccentric, a dead-lock pivoted to swing along the upper surface of said lever andagainst said eccentric, and a plunger-driving lever which straddles said eccentric and bears on opposite sides thereof, substantially as described. p h

S. A staplesetting machine comprising a main shafthavin gan eccentric thereon,a plunger-driving lever and a lever carrying an anvil, an automatically-yielding piece on said au vil-lever bearing against said eccentric, and an automatic dead-lock arranged to prevent the backward movement of the anvil-lever, substantially as described.

9. A staple-separating device comprising a v drum rotatably mountedvon a horizontal axis and having its inner Wall pyramidal, and having elongated slots in the end wall at the smaller end of the pyramid iiush with the inner wall and ot' a widthto permit the passage of staples of ordinary thickness, substan tially as described. v

ll 0. A staple-feeding mechanism comprising a slide-bar and a hopper inclosingthe upper part thereof and revolving on a horizontal axis and having buckets for lifting staples according 'to the thickness of lmaterial operated on, and devises 'for cleuchingthe-staples, substantially as described.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 9th day of May, 1898.

' ALBERT D. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. WISE, JAMES A. CARR.

I vices for automatically adjusting the anvil 

